Frozen Youth
by theatreguy2294
Summary: Queen Elsa finds herself dealing with a lingering loneliness as she sees the people of Arendelle and their families growing. But one mighty event will change her life forever.


FROZEN YOUTH

(Based on the characters of _Disney's_ film, _FROZEN)_

PART 1: CHILD OF ICE

The summer was far gone and autumn near its end. The people of Arendelle were eager to finish their harvesting and welcome the coming winter. Though they still faced harsh cold and lacked fresh crops, winter was now a time of great celebration. And this is thanks to the Queen. Queen Elsa was able to use her unique abilities to show the people of Arendelle the beauty of winter and all of the bounty it had to offer. It was also a time of reflection for Elsa. It forced her to recall the days before taking the throne when she felt she was an outcast.

The morning of the first celebration was met by an early, light snow. It made Elsa smile to know that it came without her creating it. On this day, it was common for her to walk in the forests just beyond the castle grounds on her own. There she basked in the chilling glow of the falling flakes and there she was at peace. Elsa found herself walking on a small path towards the mountains, her tracks quickly becoming covered by powder. The snow continued to fall and gently kissed her as it passed. There was no more peaceful time than the first snow.

Suddenly she was passed by something coming down from the mountains with great speed. She was able to move away just in time to find that the speeding object was a sleigh. Though this was no ordinary sleigh; this sleigh was familiar to Elsa. Once at a complete stop, the driver stepped down and rushed over. Then he spoke with a familiar voice, "Oh, sorry about that, your highness." It was Kristoff, Elsa's friend and now brother in law.

"Kristoff," said Elsa with a kind tone "it's been nearly two years. There is no need to call me that. Just call me Elsa."

Kristoff scratched the back of his head and chuckled "Yeah, I suppose you're right. What brings you out so early?"

"The snow."

"I could've guessed that. Well I was just heading back to town. Need a lift?"

"That would be wonderful. Thank you, Kristoff."

Elsa and Kristoff began their trek on the sleigh, pulled by Kristoff's reindeer, Sven. They reached Arendelle within a matter of a few minutes, just as the sun was beginning to rise. Elsa said her goodbyes to both Kristoff and Sven. At this point, the village was beginning to wake and children rushed out of their homes to play in the soft, fresh powder. She walked through the village, waving to townsfolk as she passed. She came across a group of children building up a pile of the snow. With a mere flick of her writst, the Queen turned the pile into a beautiful little snow fortress. The children laughed and cheered at the sight and continued to play. Elsa loved children and always enjoyed seeing them happy.

As the morning progressed, Elsa found herself in the lounge of the castle with her sister Anna. Anna was no longer the young naïve girl she was. Now a married woman, she took her duties as princess much more seriously. She was also now on the verge of becoming a mother. Elsa sipped some tea and turned to Anna. "So what did the doctor say?" she asked.

Anna perked up, "He said the baby is doing just fine and sound very healthy. Only time will tell."

"How long now?"

"About six months. Elsa, I'm nervous. What if I don't know what to do!?"

"Calm down Anna. I'm sure you will be a wonderful mother."

"Really?"  
"Absolutely."

"Thanks. I'm sure you will t…" but Anna stopped herself abruptly.

Elsa was silent. She looked away from Anna and quickly placed her tea on the table. She had never found love in her life and never married. She often dreamed of having a child of her own, but felt that it would be neglected due to her position of power. She knew she was alone and would remain alone. Anna spoke up once more. "Oh Elsa, I'm sorry I didn't mean…"

"Anna, it's alright. I have been at peace with this for a long time now."

"I-I'm sorry, Elsa."

"I know. Thank you."

It was now mid afternoon and time for the celebration to begin. Elsa walked into the town square with Anna and Kristoff by her side. She wore a long, flowing dark blue dress stitched with images of snowflakes along the sleeved and trim. And upon her head sat a delicate tiara forged of solid ice. She happily greeted the villagers and welcomed the start of winter. After a brief speech, she reached her hand toward the sky, bringing forth dark clouds and more snow. This snow was thicker and made it easier for the children to build forts and snowballs with.

As the evening went on, there was much celebration. A grand feast was shared by the entire kingdom and music rang throughout the mountains. Elsa took it upon herself to freeze the bay, making it perfect for skating. The night came to a close and the townsfolk journeyed off to their homes and warm beds. Young children were draped in their mothers' arms and carried away as they began to dream. It was this sight that struck Elsa the most. Her happiness for the celebration shielded her inner loneliness throughout the day, but she could no longer contain it. Anna and Kristoff headed to their home next to the castle in each others' arms, whispering sweet nothings and rubbing Anna's pregnant belly. As Elsa finally lay down for the night, she could not keep herself from weeping.

Elsa could not sleep that night. Her tears slid down the sides of her face and she was constantly tossing and turning in her sheets. The moon shone and was refracted by the snow through the large bay window that overlooked Arendelle. Elsa sat up and gazed at the mountain peaks in the distance. It was just as bright as day with all of the snow.

The Queen rose and wrapped herself in a cloak. She placed on her shoes and walked out of the castle toward the mountains. The snowfall had subsided and there was only a light breeze. All was silent as Elsa made her way to the mountain peak where she had built her own fortress of ice. She reached the ice castle to find it just as she had left it. Running her hand along the railing of the staircase, she walked the stairs leading to the entry way. She came close to opening the front door, but found that she could not. Her emotions overwhelmed her and she simply collapsed in front of the doors.

As Elsa sat there, crying, she could not help but feel a great sensation from inside her. A sort of energy was building up in her core, rumbling and just waiting to be expelled. As much as she wanted to just stay put, she could not. In a sadden rage, she slammed both hands down on the icy floor, sending a great rumble in all directions. It spread every which way and sent vibrations through the castle. She thought it had stopped, but the rumble continued inside the castle itself.

Elsa gently opened the doors and stepped into the foyer. Her steps echo slightly under the slight rumble. On the other end of the room, the rumble was coming from an orb of ice growing out of the ground. It was smooth on top and stretched seamlessly into the floor with a frosted glaze over the top. Elza was shocked at the sight of what had occurred. She approached it and was not sure what to make of it. Instinctively, she ran her hand over the top. She brushed away some of the glaze and could faintly see something inside.

She waved her hand just over the top, opening the orb slowly. The opening slowly increased in size making a hole in the top. Inside the orb was a small bundle. The bundle was completely wrapped in cloth and was still. Elsa gently picked up the bundle and moved away part of the cloth. To her astonishment, inside was a small baby; a little boy. The child had pale skin like hers and dark brown hair. He was fast asleep, breathing gently. The Queen quickly covered her mouth with a light gasp. Where had this child come from?

Her sense of confusion was overcome with a sensation of joy. She knew this child was hers. She began to cry again, but with tears of joy. A single tear fell onto the boy's head, causing him to twitch. He slowly opened his eyes and looked up at Elsa with a slight smile. His eyes were a pale blue, like hers and shone like moonlight off the snow. Elsa held him close and whispered gently. "Shh…it's alright. I'm here, little one. I'm here. It's time to go home."

Elsa made her way down the mountain with the boy in her hands. He had fallen back asleep and stayed nuzzled close into her. They reached the castle and Elsa carried him up to her room. She laid him on the bed, and removed the cloth. She took a small, wool blanket from the chest at the foot of her bed and wrapped him in it. She then lay in the bed with him and held him close. Soon, they both were in a deep sleep with light, content smiles.

The evening passed on silently and peacefully. The morning came with a gentle sunrise coming in through the window. Elsa woke with the child still in her arms, relieved to know that it wasn't a dream. She lightly kissed his head and he slowly opened his eyes. She spoke to him with a gentle voice. "Good morning. Did you sleep well?" The child simply smiled and looked at her with his bright eyes. She giggled and kissed him again.

After dressing and preparing for the day, Elsa carried the child down to the lounge. There, she was greeted by Anna and Kristoff, who were both in shock and filled with joy at the sight of the baby. They sat and Elsa told them about her trip to the mountain and the orb. Anna and Kristoff were amazed at the story, but a bit distracted by the sight of the baby. Anna held him close and spoke to him in a high pitched voice saying how adorable he was. She then glanced down at her belly and spoke in the same voice. "Guess what? This is your new cousin…um…oh, what are you going to name him?"

"I had been thinking about that," Elsa replied. "I think I will call him Erik."

"I love it," said Kristoff. "It's a good strong name."

"I thought so," said Elsa. "Little Prince Erik."

Soon, Erik began to fidget and fuss about something. Elsa became concerned and wasn't sure what to do. She held him close and tried to calm him. Then she heard something. It was a light rumble coming from his belly. She then realized the obvious. "Are you hungry?" she asked. Erik simply held onto her and his stomach continued to growl. Anna quickly got up. "Oh hold on, let me get something" she said. She returned moments later with a bottle filled with warm milk and handed it to Elsa. "We were saving it for the baby, but we have several months still, so here you go."

Elsa took the bottle and began to feed Erik. "Thank you Anna," she said.

"This is just so wonderful…well unexpected, but wonderful. I mean, it's not like the unexpected is a bad thing I mean…I just uh…yay!" She giggled and hugged her sister with her usual giddy excitement. Anna and Kristoff left to start their day and continue their preparations for their baby. Elsa finished feeding Erik and with a full stomach, he drifted back to sleep.

After a light breakfast of her own, Elsa took Erik into town in her arms. She strolled about carrying the sleeping boy. She was stopped and asked by several people who were curious about the new prince. Others gave her gifts for the child including clothes, toys, and a local craftsman gave her a small crib, promising to build another that was even more fit for a prince. Elsa was taken aback by all of this attention, but she could not hide her joy of finally actually being a mother.

Queen Elsa called for a public gathering at sunset later that week for the presentation of the new prince followed by a ball. Again, she stood in the town square and addressed the town as she did to welcome winter. She wore the same dress and tiara and held Erik in her arms. He wore a small little uniform with colors and patterns like that of Elsa's dress. As people came to greet them, the boy smiled and giggled. Young children from the town came up saying how cute he was.

During the ball, Elsa and Erik were greeted by nobility from all over. Dukes, Lords and governors from neighboring kingdoms gave their congratulations and wives fawned over the sight of little Erik. Erik was showered with gifts and kissed by women left and right. They all saw him as a blessing to the kingdom. He certainly was, but he was mostly a blessing to Elsa. The evening came to a close and Erik gave a soft yawn. He nuzzled in close to his mother's bosom, showing that he was ready to sleep.

Elsa gave a light, satisfied sigh and kissed his head. She carried Erik to their room and gently laid him in his new crib, courtesy of the local craftsman. She wrapped him in his blanket and hummed a soothing lullaby. Soon, Erik was in a deep sleep. Elsa leaned down to her son's side and whispered "Welcome home, Erik. Sleep well, my little ice prince." Elsa then climbed into her own bed and slept through the night, happy and finally whole.


End file.
